WEBVTT SOLEDAD: STATING THE OBVIOUS,WE'RE IN THE FACT BUSINESS. TO US, FACTS MATTEBUT IN AN ERA OF FAKE NEWS ANDALTERNATIVE FACTS, WHO ARE THEGATE KEEPERS OF THE TRUTH?MORE AND MORE, CITIZENS SEEM TOBE REJECTING THE MEDIA,GOVERNMENT, AND EVEN SCIENCE,RELYING INSTEAD ON BOTS ANDTWEETS AND VIRAL POSTS FROMSOURCES THAT MIRROR THEIR OWNVIEWPOINTS.THERE IS REASON FOR SKEPTICISMOUR TOP POLITICAL LEADERS ONBOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE ONLYTELL THE TRUTH ABOUT 14% OF THETIME.MICHAEL RICH IS PRESIDENT ANC.E.O. OF THE RAND CORPORATIONIT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 70YEARS AND IS KNOWN FOR ITSNONPARTISAN RESEARCH FROMNATIONAL DEFENSE TO SOCIALISSUES.HE HAS COINED THE TERM "TRUTHDECAY" AND SAYS THERE CAN BEHUGE CONSEQUENCES WHEN PEOPLECAN'T AGREE ON THE FACTSNICE TO SEE YOU, MICHAELTHANKS FOR BEING WITH US.MICHAEL: NICE TO SEE YOU,SOLEDAD.SOLEDAD: SO I SIT ON THE RANDBOARD, AND IT WAS BACK INNOVEMBER WHEN I FIRST I HEARDYOU SAY "TRUTH DECAY."AND I THOUGHT, YES, THIS ISEXACTLY WHAT WE SHOULD BETALKING ABOUT.WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TRUTH DECAY,WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IS IT FAKE NEWS? IS IT BOTS? IS IT PEOPLE JUST MAKING UPSTUFF? MICHAEL: I STARTED USING THETERM MAYBE A YEAR OR SO AGO TODESCRIBE A COLLECTION OF TRENDSTHAT I WAS SEEING IN OURPUBLIC DISCOURSE, THE DEBATE ANDDISCUSSION ABOUT PUBLIC POLICYISSUESTHE FIRST IS A DROP IN AGREEMENTTHAT I SAW ABOUT FACTS OANALYTICAL FINDINGS THAT ONCEWERE WIDELY ACCEPTED. AND THEN, WE HAVE THE BLURRINGOF THE LINE BETWEEN FACT ANDOPINION AND THE EXPLOSION IN TQUANTITY OF OPINION RELATIVE TOFACT. FINALLY, WE HAVE HAD, AS YMENTIONED, THE DECLINE IN TRUSTIN INSTITUTIONS THAT USED PLAY TO A ROLE IN BEINGAUTHORITIES ABOUT MATTERS OFFACT AND MATTERS OF ACCURACYAND I THINK THE COMBINATION OFTHOSE FACTORS HAVE PRODUCED ASITUATION THAT I FOUND IT GOODTO REFER TO AS TRUTH DECAY.BECAUSE I THINK IF WE ARE GOINGTO UNDERSTAND HOW TO TURN BACK,WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOTTO THIS POINSOLEDA DID IT START WITHPRESIDENT TRUMP?MICHAEL: THIS ISN'T NEW. MANY OF THE FACTORS THAT HAVECAUSED TRUTH DECAY HAVE BEEN INTHE PROCESS OF GETTING WORSE FORSOME TIME. WE HAVE HAD OTHER ERAS INHISTORY THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THEERA THAT WE HAVE NOWI THINK THIS ERA IS DIFFERENT INSEVERAL WAYS, BUT IT DIDN'TSTART WITH ANY PARTICULARPOLITICIAN OR CANDIDATE OR ANYPOLITICAL PARTSOLEDAD: WHAT CAUSED TRUTHDECAY? WHY ARE WE IN IT NOW? IT FEELS WORSE TO ME THAN INPAST ERAS.MICHAEL: IT IS COMPLEX, BUT ITHINK HUMANS HAVE A TENDENCY TOSEEK OUT AND BELIEVE FACTS THATALREADY CONFORM TO THEIROPINIONS OR INDIVIDUAL PERSONALEXPERIENCES.BUT IT IS MORE THAN THAT. WE HAVE HAD A DRAMATIC CHANGE INTHE INFORMATION LANDSCAPE, WHIIS THE 24/7 NEWS CYCLE, SOCIALMEDIA PLATFORMS, THE MOBILEDEVICES, AND SO ON. WHAT IT HAS MEANT IS THETREMENDOUS INCREASE IN THESPEED, IN THE VOLUME, AND THEACCESSIBILITY OF INFORMATION.MOST OF ALL, OPINIONS. WHEN YOU ADD TO THAT EVER MORESOPHISTICATED DISINFORMATIONTECHNIQUES, YOU HAVE A VERYCHANGED, DRAMATICALLY CHANGEDINFORMATION LANDSCAPE.SOLEDAD: DO YOU THINK THERE ISAN INTEREST IN TURNING ITAROUNDI KNOW THAT THE MEDIA COMPANIESAND CERTAINLY TECH COMPANISEEM SORT OF INTERESTED.BUT I'M NOT SURE THE AMERICANPUBLIC IS RUNNING AROUND SAYING,"OH, MY GOD, WE NEED TO STWITH THESE FALSE FACTS."MICHAEL: IT IS HARD TO BEOPTIMISTIC IN THE SHORT RUN.BUT OVER THE LONG RUN, I TAKESOME COMFORT IN THE FACT THATTRENDS IN ALMOST EVERY OTHERSECTOR ARE GOING IN THE OPPOSITEDIRECTION. TAKE BUSINESS, THE MILITARY,AGRICULTURE, PHILANTHROPY, EVENBASEBALL.I'M A BASEBALL FAN.THERE IS MORE AND MORE RELIANCEON DATA AND MORE AND MORE USESOF SOPHISTICATED ANALYTICMETHODS. SO TRUTH DECAY, TO THE EXTENTTHAT IT EXISTS, SEEMS TO BCENTERED IN ONE SLICE -- ANIMPORTANT SLICE OF SOCIETY --POLITICAL LIFE. AND THE DANGER IS THAT IT LEADSTO GRIDLOCK. WE HAVE SEEN IT -- DIFFICULTYPASSING BUDGETS, DIFFICULTYCONFIRMING NOMINEES.AND PERSISTENT GRIDLOCK ERODESCONFIDENCE IN INSTITUTIONS, ANCONFIDENCE IN INSTITUTIONS ISTHE BEDROCK FOR A DEMOCRATICSYSTEM.I THINK THE HOPE I HAVE IS THATTHE LEADERS IN THESE OTHSECTORS WILL EXERCISE THEIRINFLUENCE TO SAY, "THIS ISENOUGH," IN THE POLITICALSPHERE.

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“Truth Decay” in Our Political Discourse Endangers Democracy

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Updated: 9:49 AM EDT May 25, 2017

Fake news and alternative facts are taking up more space on social media feeds, and citizens are becoming more and more skeptical of the truthfulness of traditional institutions such as the government, the media and even science. It’s all a part of a trend RAND president and CEO Michael Rich has described as “truth decay,” the erosion of truth in the political sphere and public discourse. Without a shared set of facts, he says, the foundation of our democracy is at risk. He sits down with Soledad O’Brien for an in-depth discussion on truth decay, its symptoms and how we can look for remedies.

Fake news and alternative facts are taking up more space on social media feeds, and citizens are becoming more and more skeptical of the truthfulness of traditional institutions such as the government, the media and even science. It’s all a part of a trend RAND president and CEO Michael Rich has described as “truth decay,” the erosion of truth in the political sphere and public discourse. Without a shared set of facts, he says, the foundation of our democracy is at risk. He sits down with Soledad O’Brien for an in-depth discussion on truth decay, its symptoms and how we can look for remedies.